Intelligent Manufacturing in the Context of Industry 4.0: A Review

Our next generation of industry—Industry 4.0—holds the promise of increased flexibility in manufacturing, along with mass customization, better quality, and improved productivity. It thus enables companies to cope with the challenges of producing increasingly individualized products with a short lead-time to market and higher quality. Intelligent manufacturing plays an important role in Industry 4.0. Typical resources are converted into intelligent objects so that they are able to sense, act, and behave within a smart environment. In order to fully understand intelligent manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0, this paper provides a comprehensive review of associated topics such as intelligent manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled manufacturing, and cloud manufacturing. Similarities and differences in these topics are highlighted based on our analysis. We also review key technologies such as the IoT, cyber-physical systems (CPSs), cloud computing, big data analytics (BDA), and information and communications technology (ICT) that are used to enable intelligent manufacturing. Next, we describe worldwide movements in intelligent manufacturing, including governmental strategic plans from different countries and strategic plans from major international companies in the European Union, United States, Japan, and China. Finally, we present current challenges and future research directions. The concepts discussed in this paper will spark new ideas in the effort to realize the much-anticipated Fourth Industrial Revolution.     

Human–Cyber–Physical Systems (HCPSs) in the Context of New-Generation Intelligent Manufacturing

An intelligent manufacturing system is a composite intelligent system comprising humans, cyber systems, and physical systems with the aim of achieving specific manufacturing goals at an optimized level. This kind of intelligent system is called a human–cyber–physical system (HCPS). In terms of technology, HCPSs can both reveal technological principles and form the technological architecture for intelligent manufacturing. It can be concluded that the essence of intelligent manufacturing is to design, construct, and apply HCPSs in various cases and at different levels. With advances in information technology, intelligent manufacturing has passed through the stages of digital manufacturing and digital-networked manufacturing, and is evolving toward new-generation intelligent manufacturing (NGIM). NGIM is characterized by the in-depth integration of new-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technology (i.e., enabling technology) with advanced manufacturing technology (i.e., root technology); it is the core driving force of the new industrial revolution. In this study, the evolutionary footprint of intelligent manufacturing is reviewed from the perspective of HCPSs, and the implications, characteristics, technical frame, and key technologies of HCPSs for NGIM are then discussed in depth. Finally, an outlook of the major challenges of HCPSs for NGIM is proposed.     

Control for Intelligent Manufacturing: A Multiscale Challenge

The Made in China 2025 initiative will require full automation in all sectors, from customers to production. This will result in great challenges to manufacturing systems in all sectors. In the future of manufacturing, all devices and systems should have sensing and basic intelligence capabilities for control and adaptation. In this study, after discussing multiscale dynamics of the modern manufacturing system, a five-layer functional structure is proposed for uncertainties processing. Multiscale dynamics include: multi-time scale, space-time scale, and multi-level dynamics. Control action will differ at different scales, with more design being required at both fast and slow time scales. More quantitative action is required in low-level operations, while more qualitative action is needed regarding high-level supervision. Intelligent manufacturing systems should have the capabilities of flexibility, adaptability, and intelligence. These capabilities will require the control action to be distributed and integrated with different approaches, including smart sensing, optimal design, and intelligent learning. Finally, a typical jet dispensing system is taken as a real-world example for multiscale modeling and control.     

Value creation through design for scalability of reconfigurable manufacturing systems

Rapid and cost-effective scalability of the throughput of manufacturing systems is an invaluable feature for the management of manufacturing enterprises. System design for scalability allows the enterprise to build a manufacturing system to supply the current demand, and upgrade its throughput in the future, in a cost-effective manner, to meet possible higher market demand in a timely manner. To possess this capability, the manufacturing system must be designed at the outset for future expansions in its throughput to enable growths in supply exactly when needed by the market. A mathematical method that maximises the system throughput after reconfiguration is proposed, and an industrial case is presented to validate the method. The paper offers a set of principles for system design for scalability to guide designers of modern manufacturing systems.     

Additive manufacturing of metals: a brief review of the characteristic microstructures and properties of steels,Ti-6Al-4V and high-entropy alloys

Abstract

We present a brief review of the microstructures and mechanical properties of selected metallic alloys processed by additive manufacturing (AM). Three different alloys, covering a large range of technology readiness levels, are selected to illustrate particular microstructural features developed by AM and clarify the engineering paradigm relating process–microstructure–property. With Ti-6Al-4V the emphasis is placed on the formation of metallurgical defects and microstructures induced by AM and their role on mechanical properties. The effects of the large in-built dislocation density, surface roughness and build atmosphere on mechanical and damage properties are discussed using steels. The impact of rapid solidification inherent to AM on phase selection is highlighted for high-entropy alloys. Using property maps, published mechanical properties of additive manufactured alloys are graphically summarized and compared to conventionally processed counterparts.     

Cyber–Physical Production Systems for Data-Driven,Decentralized, and Secure Manufacturing—A Perspective

With the concepts of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing gaining popularity, there is a growing notion that conventional manufacturing will witness a transition toward a new paradigm, targeting innovation, automation, better response to customer needs, and intelligent systems. Within this context, this review focuses on the concept of cyber–physical production system (CPPS) and presents a holistic perspective on the role of the CPPS in three key and essential drivers of this transformation: data-driven manufacturing, decentralized manufacturing, and integrated blockchains for data security. The paper aims to connect these three aspects of smart manufacturing and proposes that through the application of data-driven modeling, CPPS will aid in transforming manufacturing to become more intuitive and automated. In turn, automated manufacturing will pave the way for the decentralization of manufacturing. Layering blockchain technologies on top of CPPS will ensure the reliability and security of data sharing and integration across decentralized systems. Each of these claims is supported by relevant case studies recently published in the literature and from the industry; a brief on existing challenges and the way forward is also provided.     

A review: additive manufacturing for active electronic components

Fabrication of fully functional devices is one of the ultimate goals of additive manufacturing technology. In order to achieve this goal, a critical step is to fabricate electronic components using fully additive methods. Although there are still numerous roadblocks that need to be overcome towards this goal, research activities in the field of additive manufacturing for electronic components in general, and for active components in particular, are progressing at a considerable pace and have been achieving significant successes. The purpose of this review is, therefore, to consolidate recent developments in this exciting field. Such developments include fully additive manufacturing methods for active components such as transistors, light-emitting diodes, and batteries. We discuss and compare the advantages, as well as disadvantages, of these methods. We also discuss major challenges that need to be addressed in the roadmap for additive manufacturing of active components.     

Pharmaceutical formulation and manufacturing using particle/powder technology for personalized medicines

Particle/powder technology is used in the manufacture of many pharmaceutical products, and research on the physical properties of particles in the nano- to micro-particle range is important in the pharmaceutical field. The concept of precision medicine will require an increasing shift in pharmaceutical manufacturing toward the design of individualized products. This perspective article focuses on particle design and powder technology for advanced formulations that will be needed in the future for individualized drug formulations and on-demand production. Nanoparticles as drug carriers in drug delivery systems will require particle designs to meet the treatment requirements of individual patients with a particular disease. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, process intensification, such as continuous manufacturing and integrated drug production from drug synthesis to final formulation, has attracted increased attention. Digital design approaches, such as artificial intelligence based on computer-aided development, also will be increasingly used. Continuous production of pharmaceutical products enables downsizing of manufacturing equipment, and on-demand manufacturing equipment has been developed. In addition, additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, is considered to be suitable for personalized formulations, and small-scale powder handling and predictive modeling of powder characterization will be important for individual preparations.     

What determines the take-over time? An integrated model approach of driver take-over after automated driving

In recent years the automation level of driver assistance systems has increased continuously. One of the major challenges for highly automated driving is to ensure a safe driver take-over of the vehicle guidance. This must be ensured especially when the driver is engaged in non-driving related secondary tasks. For this purpose it is essential to find indicators of the driver’s readiness to take over and to gain more knowledge about the take-over process in general.     

Melt Electrospinning Writing of Highly Ordered Large Volume Scaffold Architectures

The additive manufacturing of highly ordered, micrometer‐scale scaffolds is at the forefront of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research. The fabrication of scaffolds for the regeneration of larger tissue volumes, in particular, remains a major challenge. A technology at the convergence of additive manufacturing and electrospinning–melt electrospinning writing (MEW)–is also limited in thickness/volume due to the accumulation of excess charge from the deposited material repelling and hence, distorting scaffold architectures. The underlying physical principles are studied that constrain MEW of thick, large volume scaffolds. Through computational modeling, numerical values variable working distances are established respectively, which maintain the electrostatic force at a constant level during the printing process. Based on the computational simulations, three voltage profiles are applied to determine the maximum height (exceeding 7 mm) of a highly ordered large volume scaffold. These thick MEW scaffolds have fully interconnected pores and allow cells to migrate and proliferate. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study to report that z‐axis adjustment and increasing the voltage during the MEW process allows for the fabrication of high‐volume scaffolds with uniform morphologies and fiber diameters.     

Supporting patent retrieval in the context of innovation-processes by means of information dialogue

Innovations are an essential factor of competition for manufacturing companies in technical industries. Patent information plays an important role for innovation-processes and innovators in the knowledge management. The combination of cross-organizational spread information and resources from patent databases and digital libraries is necessary in order to gain profit for innovation experts. The major challenge is to overcome the current information deficit and to fulfill the information need of the experts in the innovation-process. In this paper we first present in detail three innovation scenarios to derive challenges on advanced information systems which support an information dialogue but also the complete search process. Then we define essential conditions of a search task and from that we derive the elementary information sets and activities in the next step. An example shows the applicability and utility of the formalization described and shows how the activities fill up the user’s information dialogue context. During the formalization we apply a cognitive walk-through on a patent database. We will use the Daffodil-system as an experimental system for further development and evaluation of the above described framework.     

Additive Manufacturing of Advanced Multi‐Component Alloys: Bulk Metallic Glasses and High Entropy Alloys

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and high entropy alloys (HEAs) are both important multi‐component alloys with novel microstructures and unique properties, which make them promising for applications in many industries. However, certain hindrances have been identified in the fabrication of BMGs and HEAs by conventional techniques due to the intrinsic requirements of BMGs and HEAs. With the advent of metal additive manufacturing, new opportunities have been perceived to fabricate geometrically complex BMGs and HEAs with tailorable microstructure theoretically at any site within the specimen, which are not achievable using conventional fabrication techniques. After providing some background and introducing the conventional fabrication techniques for BMGs and HEAs, this review will focus on the current status, development, and challenges in metal additive manufacturing of BMGs and HEAs including different additive manufacturing techniques being used, microstructure design and evolution, as well as properties of the fabricated BMGs and HEAs. A future outlook of metal additive manufacturing of BMGs and HEAs will also be provided at the end.

     

Industrial Ecosystems and Food Webs: An Ecological-Based Mass Flow Analysis to Model the Progress of Steel Manufacturing in China

Materials and energy are transferred between natural and industrial systems, providing a standard that can be used to deduce the interactions between these systems. An examination of these flows is an essential part of the conversation on how industry impacts the environment. We propose that biological systems, which embody sustainability, provide methods and principles that can lead to more useful ways to organize industrial activity. Transposing these biological methods to steel manufacturing is manifested through an efficient use of available materials, waste reduction, and decreased energy demand with currently available technology. In this paper, we use ecological metrics to examine the change in structure and flows of materials in the Chinese steel industry over time by means of a systems-based mass flow analysis. Utilizing available data, the results of our analysis indicate that the Chinese steel manufacturing industry has increased its efficiency and sustainable use of resources over time at the unit process level. However, the appropriate organization of the steel production ecosystem remains a work in progress. Our results suggest that through the intelligent placement of cooperative industries, which can utilize the waste generated from steel manufacturing, the future of the Chinese steel industry can better reflect ecosystem maturity and health while minimizing waste.     

Toward Perovskite Solar Cell Commercialization: A Perspective and Research Roadmap Based on Interfacial Engineering

High‐efficiency and low‐cost perovskite solar cells (PVKSCs) are an ideal candidate for addressing the scalability challenge of solar‐based renewable energy. The dynamically evolving research field of PVKSCs has made immense progress in solving inherent challenges and capitalizing on their unique structure–property–processing–performance traits. This review offers a unique outlook on the paths toward commercialization of PVKSCs from the interfacial engineering perspective, relevant to both specialists and nonspecialists in the field through a brief introduction of the background of the field, current state‐of‐the‐art evolution, and future research prospects. The multifaceted role of interfaces in facilitating PVKSC development is explained. Beneficial impacts of diverse charge‐transporting materials and interfacial modifications are summarized. In addition, the role of interfaces in improving efficiency and stability for all emerging areas of PVKSC design are also evaluated. The authors' integral contributions in this area are highlighted on all fronts. Finally, future research opportunities for interfacial material development and applications along with scalability–durability–sustainability considerations pivotal for facilitating laboratory to industry translation are presented.     

A review of “Advances in Computer-Integrated Manufacturing.” Edited by Peter J. Sacket (JAI Press Ltd., 1990) [pp. 188]. Price £ 48, US $ 81·95.

Global competition and rapidly changing customer requirements are forcing major changes in the production styles and configuration of manufacturing organizations. Traditional centralized manufacturing systems are not able to meet such requirements. This paper proposes an agent-based approach for dynamically creating and managing agent communities in such widely distributed and everchanging manufacturing environments. After reviewing the research literature, an adaptive multi-agent manufacturing system architecture called MetaMorph is presented and its main features are described. Such architecture facilitates multi-agent coordination by minimizing communication and processing overheads. Adaptation is facilitated through organizational structural change and two learning mechanisms: learning from past experiences and learning future agent interactions by simulating future dynamic, emergent behaviours. The MetaMorph architecture also addresses other specific requirements for next generation manufacturing systems, including scalability, reliability, stability, maintainability, flexibility, real-time planning and scheduling, standardized communication, fault tolerance, and security. The proposed architecture is implemented as a multi-agent virtual manufacturing system, in simulation form, which incorporates heterogeneous manufacturing agents within different agent-based shop floors or factories. The experimental results have shown the potential of the agent-based approach for advanced manufacturing systems.     

石墨烯基储能材料的增材制造研究进展

石墨烯是一种具有大比表面积、高电导率和良好的力学性能的二维材料,在高容量和大功率储能器件方面具有广阔的应用前景。然而现有的各种石墨烯电极制造技术无论从技术层面还是在生产率、性能方面都难以满足当前工业应用的需求。石墨烯增材制造(石墨烯3D打印)在复杂三维石墨烯结构的制造方面具有突出的优势和潜力,而且还具有设备简单、成型结构可控性高等优点。关于石墨烯基电极材料的增材制造及应用在近两年内迅速发展。概述了基于增材制造制备石墨烯结构的典型技术——直写成型(DIW)的机理和优点,介绍了基于该技术制备的石墨烯基电极材料在超级电容器和锂离子电池领域的应用,最后对石墨烯基电极材料的增材制造面临的挑战和未来发展趋势进行了展望。     

Design of smart connected manufacturing resources to enable changeability,reconfigurability and total-cost-of-ownership models in the factory-of-the-future

The fourth industrial revolution requires higher capabilities of changeability and reconfigurability (C–R) of the future factories (FoF), as well as a higher focus on business models that are based on total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) paradigm. Up to date, there are little scientific contributions to deploy C–R into TCO models, as well as to systematic plan and design manufacturing resources such as to facilitate FoF ecosystem. In order to address this issue, this paper introduces research results that show how to deploy C–R, connectivity, smartness and TCO requirements into the technical solutions of manufacturing resources of FoF. Contributions emerging from this research include an index to measure C–R capability of manufacturing resources, a model to assess economic feasibility of a FoF over its lifecycle, as well as a methodology and related tools to design smart connected manufacturing resources with embedded features to facilitate changeability and reconfigurability in a FoF. Theoretical contributions are explained through a case study of a fast reconfigurable robotic manufacturing cell. Preliminary results demonstrate that it is possible to rapid design smart connected manufacturing resources and integrate them into FoF architectures that support convertibility, integrability, modifiability, adaptability, serviceability, scalability, integration of resources from various producers, service clustering and cloud-based services.     

基于搅拌摩擦的金属固相增材制造研究进展EI北大核心CSCD

基于搅拌摩擦的固相增材制造是大型轻质合金构件成形制造的新技术,已成为国内外先进成形制造领域研究的热点之一。本文对目前国内外基于搅拌摩擦的金属固相增材制造技术及其相关工艺机理的研究现状进行了分析和总结。常见的基于搅拌摩擦的固相增材制造技术可分为三类:基于搅拌摩擦搭接焊原理,使板材逐层堆积,从而获得增材构件的搅拌摩擦增材制造(friction stir additive manufacturing,FSAM)技术;采用中空搅拌头,通过添加剂(粉末或丝材)进行固相搅拌摩擦沉积的增材制造(additive friction stir deposition,AFSD)技术;采用消耗型棒材,通过棒材的摩擦表面处理,形成增材层的摩擦表面沉积增材制造(friction surfacing deposition additive manufacturing,FSD-AM)技术。重点分析了金属材料基于搅拌摩擦的固相增材制造技术的国内外研究与应用现状,对比了三类基于搅拌摩擦的固相增材制造技术的特征及其工艺优缺点。最后指出增材工艺机理、形性协同控制、外场辅助工艺改型、新材料应用和人工智能优化是基于搅拌摩擦的固相增材制造技术未来研究的重点方向。     

Additive manufacturing management: a review and future research agenda

Based on the phenomenal changes that additive manufacturing (AM) has brought to industries and markets, managerial approaches should be re-examined and developed to take advantage of emerging opportunities. This revolutionary technology is dramatically changing business and innovation models, shrinking supply chains and altering the global economy. For example, 3D printing shifts production locations closer to customers and leads to free-form product design as well as sustainable manufacturing. Several studies have been conducted on AM technology, but the research stream on AM management is still developing, with studies dispersed in journals across different research areas. Our study presents both systematic and quantitative analyses of the literature, including co-citation analysis, factor analysis and multidimensional scaling, to explore the structure of the AM research domains in the scope of management, business and economics. We found eight main research streams: AM technology selection, supply chain, product design and production cost models, environmental aspects, strategic challenges, manufacturing systems, open-source innovation and business models and economics. Finally, based on the results of our in-depth analysis of the literature, we found nine promising future research directions.     

增材制造铜/钢双金属材料研究进展

铜/钢双金属材料具有力学强度高、物理化学性能优良等优势,在交通运输、电力能源和建筑工业等领域应用前景广阔。然而,传统熔铸工艺在制造铜/钢双金属材料时,容易在铜/钢界面处产生偏析现象,在一定程度上限制了铜/钢双金属材料的发展。与传统工艺相比,增材制造技术不仅能实现复杂加工零件的快速制造,而且在成形过程中较短的保温时间能缓和或消除异种金属材料界面产生的冶金缺陷,进而增强铜/钢双金属材料的力学性能。由于双金属材料是近年来的研究热点,有关增材制造铜/钢双金属材料的综述性文章较少,故综述了近年来激光、电子束及电弧增材制造技术制造铜/钢双金属材料的研究发展现状,分析了各技术的优缺点,并从制备方法、工艺参数及界面合金元素等角度,分析了影响材料界面组织性能变化的关键因素。发现在增材制造铜/钢双金属材料方面,目前激光增材制造技术主要应用于精度要求较高的小尺寸零部件,电子束增材制造技术适用于某些具有特殊性能的合金,如钛合金,而电弧增材制造技术适用于精度要求较低的大型复杂零部件。在铜/钢双金属材料增材制造过程中,界面处易形成显微组织分布不均匀、界面晶粒尺寸差异较大等现象,导致界面处产生应力集中,从而造成材料...